The classic Christie story centers on special detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh), who boards a train from Jerusalem to Europe only to have a murder committed in the car next to his during a snowstorm. Poirot tries to discover the murderer or murderers before there's another victim.

Bateman will play Bouc, Poirot's companion and sidekick, who works at the train company that runs the Orient Express.

The Fox film, set for release on Nov. 22, 2017, is being produced by Branagh, Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg and Mark Gordon. Aditya Sood and Michael Schaefer are executive producing.

Bateman, who next will be seen in the untitled Amy Schumer comedy that Jonathan Levine is directing, had previously worked with Branagh on The Winter's Tale alongside Judi Dench on the West End in London, and so the director brought him in for Murder on the Orient Express. Bateman also previously starred on the British series Jekyll & Hyde. He is repped by CAA, United Agents in the U.K. and attorney Patti Felker.